Is the King Alfred’s Way the Camino de Santiago of Great Britain?
In more recent years, hiking or cycling on century-old pilgrims' trails has become somewhat of a trend. The most popular route that has captured the most attention is the Camino de Santiago in Spain. It’s a route dating back to the 8th century which became a major pilgrimage of medieval Christianity leading to the shrine of the apostle Saint James the Great in the cathedral of the northern Spanish city Santiago de Compostela. In modern times, people can take several different routes either by foot or bike to reach the cathedral and people flock from all over the world to take on the route of their choice - and there was even a movie about it. As popularity grows every year, people are starting to see the advantage of exploring more of the Camino in less time by bike. So in vein with this growing trend, the question remains, does a land steeped in history like the UK have a pilgrimage of its own?
The King Alfred’s Way is said to take you through 10,000 years of history back to a time of when Alfred the Great ruled the Anglo-Saxon kingdom of Wessex. Traditionally it starts in Winchester where King Alfred is buried and follows a 350km circular route which passes through places like the Salisbury Plain, Reading, Farnham and the South Downs Way.
Cycling UK have made it one of their flagship routes off the back of £1 million investment into it’s trails. Whilst getting in and out of some the cities such as Reading and Petersfield can be a little busy and road dominant, it doesn’t take long until you’re venturing out into the countryside on some fantastic trails and taking in the breathtaking scenery. Make no mistake though, if you complete the entire route in the recommended 3-6 days then expect a serious challenge on your hands. The undulating landscape and rough bridle ways do make for a challenging venture through the South Downs especially. Butser Hill definitely takes the cake for the steepest climb and most find themselves with feet on solid ground rather than the pedals. The section that follows is really picturesque with some exciting downhill sections along the fantastic bike friendly paths of the South Downs between Petersfield and Winchester.
Unlike the Camino there is no distinct destination to reach to complete the journey. The Cathedral in Santiago de Compostela is slowly becoming just as frequented by lycra ladened and boot stomping folk as it is by the more traditional worshiper. The King Alfred’s Way is thought to start and end in Winchester and it certainly has a landmark to behold with it’s stunning 16th century cathedral which for now hasn’t diversified it’s dress code. You can in fact start and finish wherever you like and if you don’t like the sound of 3 days in the saddle then it’s possible to modify your ride. Our 4 day, 3 night tour of the King Alfreds Way and New Forest starts in Reading and runs in a clockwise direction down through Farnham, Petersfield and Winchester before veering south towards Southampton. This allows 3 solid days on the King Alfred’s Way by which time you’ll be itching to venture off to the fantastic flat paths of the New Forest and the salty sea breeze riding next to the coast.
We find that the section between Farnham and Petersfield is the most challenging. There are a few modifications of the route that you can take in this section, all of which will endure the undulating landscape on varied surfaces. We challenge anyone to accent Butser Hill without stopping - no one in our groups so far has managed that!
Overall, you could argue that is the King Alfred’s Way is a British pilgrimage of sorts that could one day rival the Camino - more so by bike though. As far as spiritual pilgrimages go, the Camino really can’t be rivalled. However, the vast number of people you meet on The King Alfred’s at hotel stops and on the trail validates it’s growing popularity with people’s huge desire to follow the same path as those pilgrims that came centuries before.
Check out our King Alfred’s Way and the New Forest bike tour as well as our tour of the Camino de Santiago and see for yourself!
